Clearly, our characters need to do things: they need to struggle, risk, defend, defy, atone (not simply “realize”). That’s the essence of story-telling: a character does something and, as a result, new things happen … On occasion, a character may be acted upon, instead of acting. That is, he may be thwarted, diverted, or motivated by someone else’s...

Trained by reading hundreds of submissions, editors and agents often make their read/not-read decision on the first page. In a customarily formatted book manuscript with chapters starting about 1/3 of the way down the page (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point type), there are 16 or 17 lines on the first page. Here’s the question: Would you...

Welcome to a new edition of Desmond’s Drops! This month, enjoy three new drops about Blake Snyder’s genres from his classic book, Save the Cat! Why Dun It Institutionalized Superhero Email subscribers, please click directly to writerunboxed.com to view, or visit all of Demond’s Drops on YouTube. Look for more of Desmond’s Drops...

October was gracious with unexpected warmth and blooming dahlias. November funneled golden shafts of sunlight through dayglo foliage that refused to drop. December, the woodstove snapped with cedar, brightening the endless dark, while the open screen door off the kitchen let in cool air that feathered our bare feet. Winter played peek-a-boo and we...

Around 14 years ago I posted my first video (on Vimeo at first, and then I stumbled my way onto YouTube a few years later). I did it out of cowardice. I was getting my Masters at Antioch University and I needed to lead a 50-minute lecture. I was so terrified of public speaking that I recorded a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation to kill some time during...

We are thrilled to bring you a closer look at the new novel from author and WU contributor Terah Shelton Harris titled, Long After We Are Gone, out this coming Tuesday (May 14). After the triumph of Terah’s debut last year, we can’t wait to see what she has in store for us. Especially after hearing praise like that of NY Times Bestselling Author Quinn...